Shatterglass, by Tamora Pierce

Tris and Niko have ended up in the city of Tharios, capital of the city-state of Tharios. While exploring the many glass blowing shops, Tris sees a journeyman create a living glass dragon. Kethlun Warder is shocked when Tris tells him that he must look after his creation. Accusing her of making it, he denies that he has any magic and tries to destroy the dragon. Very angry, Tris takes the dragon with her back to Niko, where he informs her that now she must either teach Keth or find a teacher for him. In Keth’s seach for an appropriate teacher, he accidentally creates a glass globe covered in lightening that slowly clears to show an image of murder. Keth discovers he has the ability to make globes that show people where a murder will take place, something that the city’s lawforce desperately needs to catch a murderer who has been killing street performers. Tris is the only teacher available that can teach Keth to control the lightening aspect of his magic, but he is much older than her and does not like to listen. He has many friends among the street performers, and he knows that this Ghost who is killing them must be stopped. But he is new to his magic, and scared of lightening. Tris has a lot of work ahead of her.

I may have to eat my words a bit about Briar being the best character, because in my mind, Tris is pretty much on par. I forget that sometimes, but she really is. I guess it is because I identify with her: she is the real Cinderella story: all of the children are, but her especially. Made fun of because of her appearance and actions, her love of reading; all of these things have been part of my life. Being the nerd/geek of a place is never easy, and all of us that fit the category read books because of the need for a story in which the underdog triumphs and does truly amazing things. I don’t personally have problems with my family (for which I am truly grateful), and I don’t sprout lightening when I’m angry, but I feel a connection with Tris. I like how she does not change very much: she is still a little overweight, grumpy, and not very polite always. She is who she is, and becoming a mage did not change her into a glamorous figure. She is Tris.

Shatterglass really provides a look at how powerful Tris really is, and what a problem it still is. She cannot really find a steady job: as a responsible weather mage she cannot guarantee fair weather all the time if the earth would suffer, and battle magic is not her career of choice. She has yet to really find a place in the world, so for now she just travels with Niko. But she loves to be useful, and as of yet she is not very. This is why she begs Niko to let her scry the winds, and this lets in a really cool part of the book. I cannot imagine how Tamora Pierce keeps thinking up these ideas, but I praise her brilliance. New ideas, as well as sound plots, are the lifeblood of good authors. As long as Pierce keeps delivering this, she will remain one of my favorite authors.